We know alot about this powerful means of conquest and control of the seas, especially with reproductions on coins, bas-reliefs, pompeian frescoes and historical descriptions, while the archaeological finds are limited in large measure to "navi onerarie" (cargo ships) and their loads.

The Roman warships were classified in:

• naves praetoriae (flagships): long, rowing and very fast;

• naves longae and naves liburnicae: very fast and with several rows of oars;

• naves actuariae: read, for troops transportation;

• naves speculatoriae: of reconnaissance, to observe the enemy;

• naves tabellariae: small units for sending dispatches.

The type of ship is generally related to the orders of oars present on each of them.

Bireme

"navis longa" with two rows of oarsmen sitting on the same bench. It was also equipped of a square sail and developed a good speed thanks to its weight and small size. It was superseded by more

functional trireme.

Trireme

"navis longa" with three series of rowers. It was the most commonly used warship, was equipped with a rostrum and, in newer units, there was a tower to house archers at bow to launch arrows from higher positions. At the aft was built cab blanket commander. Its crew was 200 men including 150 rowers and 15 between Officers and NCOs.

Quadrireme

"navislonga" with fourorders oarsduring the FirstPunic War it rodetwo"crows", one at the bowand the other at aft. Itwasgenerallyequipped with several siege weapons:catapultsandasses.

Even the quadrireme had one or two raised towers for archers' shots. The crew was 240 remiges (rowers), 15 Nautes (sailors) and 120 Classiarii (Marines).

Quinquireme"navis longa" with five rows of oars. Very similar to quadrireme but faster.Esareme

"navis longa" and heavy which there are no elements to say if it was with six rows of oars or a trireme with two rowers per oar. Heavily armed, apparently was intended to board the Staff of the fleet.

Deceris

also called decireme by the number of rows of oars in its possession. In the Actium battle (31 BC.), disputed between Antony and Octavian, both fleets deployed this type of ships. The crew was 600 Nautes (sailors) and 200-250 Classiarii (Marines).

Liburna

fast ship with two rows of oarsmen, It was the copy of the identical pirate "liburnian" unit (ie Illyrians pirates) that had fought against the Romans. Marcus Agrippa had appreciated maneuverability of this boat than the trireme so he let build so many of this kind for the battle of Actium.

Although the Roman Navy was present in the Mediterranean for a long time, but with Augustus, and his famous military genius Vipsanius Agrippa, they came to the realization of a permanent fleet.

In the Mediterranean sea there were located naval units in the two main bases of Misenum (Classis Misensis) in Campania, and Ravenna (Classis Ravennatis) on south of Po river's delta.

Of these two, the fleet of Misenum was considered prominent and controlled by a Praefectus Classis, of higher rank than the one of Ravenna.

They were, however, "provincial fleets" for the control of local waters. These were:

• Classis Britannica: control authority of the English Channel and British sea;

• Classis Germanica: river fleet on the Renus;

• Classis Pannonian: river fleet on the Danube;

• Classis Flavia Moesica: placed to control the Black Sea and part of the Danube;

• Classis Pontica: for the control of Southern Black Sea;

• Classis Syriaca: for the control of Turkish, Syrian and Palestinian waters;

• Classis Alexandrina: control authority of the Egyptian sea;

• Classis Mauretanica: for the control of African Western Mediterranean;

• Classis Lybica: located to control the Libyan coast.

This importantmilitary forcewas governedby:

PraefectusClassis,appointedtocommand the whole fleet under the direct order of the Emperor hiself;

SubpraefectusCommander,second in command into a fleet;

Navarchus,corresponding to the current Rear Admiral, he wasappointedto the command of a squadron made by 10 units;

TrierarchusorMagisterNavis, Commander of a singlenaval unitbutresponsible of the conduct only;